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Judy Schnerr, Marlene Hinchliffe and Lorri Brandau chat while making dough for peach pies at St. John's Church in Wapwallopen.

The time is ripe for another food festival in Wapwallopen.

Members of St. John's United Church of Christ will host the inaugural Peach Festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the church grounds. Will Brandau, one of the organizers, said due to a good peach crop at nearby Heller Orchards, the time seemed right to bring the idea to fruition.

"We've been considering a peach festival for some time, and this year the peaches are a good enough crop to go head with that," he said.

The festival also gives the church's sociable members an excuse to get together, he added.

"When you live in Wapwallopen, you make your own fun, and our congregation does that quite well."

The church is one of the hosts and beneficiaries of the town's annual Apple Festival, which takes place at Heller Orchards. Brandau said he's putting out a call to fans of the apple event to sample what the peach festival has to offer.

"I'll be real happy if there's 1,000 people there," he said.

Peach delights

Heller's peach crop will be featured in many forms, including ice cream and baked goods. The ice cream is homemade by Jeff and Val McCleary, members of the congregation. They came up with three different recipes, then hosted a gathering of church members to pick one to feature at the festival.

"Of course we had a party to test it out," Brandau said.

The peach shortcake sundaes are Brandau's contribution. He said he experimented with different recipes before choosing a biscuit-style preparation. He and his wife Lorri will also make peach pies with the help of members of the church choir, which Brandau directs.

"We're going to be peeling a lot of peaches," he said. "The peeling of the peaches is a real process."

Members of St. Peter's Church, who also participate in the Apple Festival, are setting up a french fry stand for the peach event. Another food feature is corn on the cob, cooked over a fire in burlap - the old-fashioned way, Brandau said.

"It has a totally different flavor than when you boil corn or cook it any other way," he said.

The festivities also include live gospel and bluegrass music by Jesse Fink, a classic car show and vendors selling crafts and food items like jellies and bread. The atmosphere will be different from the street-fair vibe of the Apple Festival - more like a carnival, Brandau said.

QUICK INFO

What: St. John's United Church of Christ inaugural Peach Festival

When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: St. John's Church, Wapwallopen

Details: Free parking, admission

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